Apparatus for making bread



y 22, 1952 H. c. RHODES 2,604,057

APPARATUS FOR MAKING BREAD Filed Feb. 28, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Y #qjuf M Av" 'T'UR/VE 1 y 22, 1952 H. c. RHODES 2,604,057

APPARATUS FOR MAKING BREAD Filed Feb. 28, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

661M 6. 640% [2% M fiTTURZVE/W/ H. C. RHODES APPARATUS FOR MAKING BREAD July 22, 1952 4 Sheet s-Sheet 3 FiledwFeb. 28, 1949 INI ENTOR.

July 22, 1952 H. c. RHODES APPARATUS FOR MAKING BREAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 28, 1949 INVENTOR.

Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING BREAD Herbert G. Rhodes, Portland, reg.,' assignor to Read Standard Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Original application February 10, 1945, Serial No.

577,223, now Patent No. 2,534,734, dated December 19, 1950. Divided and this application February 28, 1949, Serial No. 78,705

thoroughly worked for the purpose of extract- 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the loaf shortening stop. I

'Fig. 4'is a front elevation of the loaf rolling portion of the device.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the speed changing device.

Fig. '7 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view showing a piece of dough in various stages of its travel through the steps of the process.

Like numbers of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

7 Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown only those portions of the loaf preparing machine as are pertinent to this invention, and this consists of the live rollers HI, I2 and I3 which are mounted on their respective shafts such as the shaft I4 and driven in any desired manner. Between the rollers l0 and I2 and below the rollers H) are the plates l5 and hi, over which the dough can pass during and after the time it passes through the rollers It) to |3 inclusive. Suitable guides H are placed along the sides of the rollers l8 and I2 to limit the width to which the dough I8 can be rolled. The mechanism thus far described is commonly formed on existing types of loaf forming machines.

4 Claims. (01. 107-42) Referring particularly to my invention, same will be seen to consist of a loaf shortening drum l9 and'a conveyor 20. The drum I9 is mounted on the shaft 2| of a variable speed drive mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 6 in which power is supplied from the pulley 22, which is mounted on one end of an arm 23 through the belt 24 to the sheave 25, which is mounted on the opposite end of the arm 23. The sheave 25 is mounted on the same shaft 26 as is the variable speed. sheave 21, whose belt 28 passes around the variable speed sheave 29 on the shaft 2|. The belt 28 is kept in tension by means of the tightener 30 operating on the rod 3|, which is attachedto the arm 23. The arm 23 is'capable of swinging about the centerof the shaft 32.

Such contrivances are common in the market, a popular form of which is known as the Reeves variable speed drive, which operates on the principle of changing the pitch line of the drivingand driven pulleys. No claim is made to this element and the explanation is given merely to show a form of variable speed drive for the shaft 2|.

Mounted on the shaft 2| are the radial arms 33, to which are attached the counter balance arms 34, the ends of which are joined by the counter balance 35. The ends 33 are joined by the perforated trough 36, which is free to move with relation to the surface 3'! of the drum IS. The shaft 2| is contained within the tubular bearing 38, on which are mounted a pair of arms 39 which support the dash pots 40 inwhich are disposed the pistons 4|, which are outwardly urged by the Springs 42. A spring '43 is interposed between the piston head 44 and its respective arm 33.

Also secured to the arms 39 are the brackets 45, which carry the rebound springs 46, against which the counter weight 35 strikes'when'the trough 36 reaches its lowermost point of travel.

-In Figs. 4 and 5 areshown the conveyor 20,

' preferably of fabric and mounted on the rollers -48, to which motion is imparted through any convenient source (not shown). 45

The rollers are mounted on the shaft 49 and are supported by the bearings 5|! which, in turn, are mounted on the base 5| and held at an elevation by thesupports 52 which will bring the top run of the ment, the pressure of the belt 56 can be regulated 1 to a nicety. I The bolts 60 are supported by the bra'ckets -63 and 64 on the sides of the base 5 I l A drive pu lley.

65 is secured on a shaft 58" and power is supplied thereto from a convenient source (not shown).

The operation of the device is as follows: As-

suming that dough has been formed into piecesj of the correct weight to produce-thedesired'loaf of bread, and that the chunkbfdoughls has" been presented to the rollers I2 and I3," between which it is forced to pass by the rotatioi'i 'of 'th'ese rollers, it follows that the dough will be flattened out into along narrow strip -66; and this will be found to be -much longer than thewpan 6! into which it is=finally to (be placed readyfor: baking. It is, however, confined-to a given-width by the guides I I until it finally contacts the'surface 31- of-the slower movingdrum I9r This slower movement serves to thicken the dough; 58- which finally engages. the trough -36,--which be'mg free to. turn,- iscarried around thereby to theposition shown as A in Fig.

The--sheeting.--rolls- Ill-I I- and: I2--I3 are so spacedwi-th respect to one L another as to engage a:- massof. dough I 8 andcompress-same "intoa relativelylthin doughsheet 66;-: By maintaining tion the doughsheet 664s, .durmgvthesheeting operation, formed .wi-th -amuniformlyssmooth :texture-which is obtainable only through a-thorough and complete de-gasing-iof the dough sheet It-is throughtheactionof the-rolls I Il -I I and- I-2---I 3 that an elongateddough sheet 66 a is -obtained, which sheet iselongated tosuchaalength= thatit would notfit within the baking-pani- When the dough -sh-eet 6'6- emergesfrom the: sheeting rollsdIl-I I and engages the peripheral surface:

37 of: the -drum IB the rate of movement ot said drum willv tend to shorten the-doughsheet BG. The shortening ofthe-=:dough sheet-BG upQn itS engagement with the drum I9-is-due to the differencedrr rate of :speed between=thea-drum=nI 9 and I sheeting irollsa I 0-I I The forward: or leading edge-ofthe doughsheetifi-is adaptedto engage the -surface '31- r of-: the: druma I 9 while -therear end-:or. trailing portion :of the :dough: sheet is still engaged bythe rollers Illa-H Thusas the-lead-' to -its :trailing- ;edgeas the: entire dough- 4 sheet finally-engages the-surfacedlr ofwhe air-um I92 The trough 36 carried by the-arms 33 isadapted to move independently'with respect' to the-rotatingrdrunr I9: Y Aswshownin 'Figure' 2;'-,the--leading edge-of the dough sheet 66 eng'agesfthe'trougn 36 which engagement "subjects: the leading: edge of: the dough sheet to a' pressu-re which is'rin -a direction opposite to the'direction of movement offltherdough"sheet; I That is; 3 atthe time of engagementofL-the leadingredgeof'ftheidough sheet with the trough 36 the counter balance weights 35 will prevent the trough from moving around the surface of the drum I 9 and the trough 36 will remain in this position until a sufiicient amount of the dough sheet has been carried forward by the drum I9 to overcome'the counter balance 35, at which time the trough 36 will start to move around the surface of the drum I9. During this period of non movement by the trough 36 the leading edge-of the dough sheet will tend to be squaredup as it engages the trough 36 and pressure'will lie-directed to the dough sheet by means of the trough 35- and the counter balance 35 which pressure will tend to shorten still further the-doughsheet 66. In fact the shortening of the-dough-sheet by the trough 35 and counter balance-35 will'tend not only to square up the leading edge of the dough sheet but also the trailing edge. Before the trough 36 starts to move around the periphery 31 of the drum I9 there must be a sufiicientamountof the dough sheetsupported by said trough beforetheaction ofthe counter balance 35 can be overcome, and it is-during this period-that a pressure is imparted to the dough sheet in a direction; oppositeto the -line of travel of the dough sheet that causes the dough sheet to be shortened. I

As the trough 36 starts to move about the peripheral surface 31 of the drum I9 the trailing or rear end-portion of the dough sheet 66 is-sti11 in engagement with the drum I9. As -the-drum I9- continues to rotate and carries thetrail-ing or-rear endportion of the dough-sheet'thetrough is-forced about the surface 3! ofthe-drum- -I 9 due to the weight of the dough sheet which --is-- being supported by said trough. At approximately the position designated as A in Figure -2,- the trailing-or rear-end portion of thedough-sheet will be thrown from the peripheral surface3-I of the drum I9 towards the conveyor 20. During this action thetrough 36-will continue to move about the drums surface so that when the dough sheet, through the flipping action, assumes approxi mately a horizontal position the leading; edge-of the dough sheet will-leave the trough 36 so that the entire dough sheet will bedeposited upon' the conveyor 20. After the dough sheet leaves the trough 36 the counterbalance 35 will cause'the trough to be returned to its original orstarting position-,= such asshown infull' lines in :Figure 2, where said trough will beready-toengage-the next sheet of dough that is carried -by-the sui face 31 of the drum I9. 7

The dough sheet upon engaging the conveyor 20 is carried along in a direction normalf-toits length until it passes under thewirecloth Hand is formed into a somewhat l imperfect roll 10, whichis; however, thecorrect pan length? When the roll 'l Ilescapes from the end of the wire cloth 55, it -passesunder the belt 56-and-is-rolled-to cylindrical form, from whence itis discharged onto a table or conveyor (not shown); and-put into pans 6T ready-for the oven. The unbaked loaf J I :will be found; upon examinatiom-to have the-form 'of a true cylinderof uniform texture throughout and devoid of irregularities intlie-air pocket sizes. It will readily be seen thatan important feature of" the device is the ability: to shorten the'strip to pan length after it has-been rolled-to an excessivelength; and this is accomplished by" controllingthe relativespeeds of the rollers I0 *to -I 4 inclusive; with regard to thesu-rface speed'of the drum -I 9; and'also the actiorr of the trough 36in imparting or subjectingflh dough sheetto a pressure from the leading to-the trailing edge for further shortening said dough sheet.

I am aware that numerous minor changes in details can be employed without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore, not my intention to be limited to the precise form shown herein, but I do intend to cover such forms and modifications of the device as fall fairly within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described, consisting of rollers for forming a mass of dough into a thin flat strip, a drum disposed beneath the discharge of said rollers having a lesser peripheral speed than do said rollers, a stop member disposed along the surface of said drum mounted for swinging movement independently of said drum about an axis concentric with the axis of said drum to engage said strip of dough and to be carried thereby around said drum until said strip becomes inverted and falls from said drum.

2. A drum for machines of the class described, consisting of a cylinder mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, a stop member mounted along the descending peripheral surface of said cylinder for swinging movement independently of said cylinder about an axis concentric with the axis of said cylinder, a counter balance for said stop member for normally holding said trough in a predetermined position along the descending peripheral surface of said cylinder, and cushioning means disposed at the said normal position of said stop member for absorbing the rebounding shocks of said trough.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of feed rollers, plates and side guides for forming a mass of dough into an elongated flat strip, together with a dough strip shortening drum, mounted on a horizontal axis and adapted to receive a strip of dough as it is 6 discharged by said rollers, means for regulating the surface speed of said drum with relation to the surface speed of said rollers, a trough-like stop disposed along the descending peripheral surface of said drum in the path of the member normally moving around said drum, said troughlike member being mounted for swinging movement independently of said drum about an axis concentric with the axis of said drum, means for counter balancing said trough in a manner that it will normally seek a predetermined position on said drum, and shock absorbers disposed at the opposite limits of travel of said trough.

4. An apparatus'of the class described comprising rollers for forming a mass of dough into a thin flat sheet, a drum disposed beneath the discharge of said rollers mounted forrotation about a horizontal axis, a stop member normally disposed along the upper surface portion of said drum and mounted for swinging movement independently of said drum about an axis concentric with the axis ,of said drum, said stop member being disposed to be engaged by a sheet of dough and to be moved thereby around said drum until said strip becomes inverted and falls from said drum, and means for returning said stop member to said normal position.

HERBERT C. RHODES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 787,274 Burns Apr..11, 1 905 1,790,589 McCarthy Jan. 2'7, 1931 2,034,346 Lauterbur Mar. 17, 1936 2,373,012 Burdett et a1. Apr. 3, ,1945 

